The Cochrane Historical Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS)  is among those pressing the Alberta Government to reinstate its Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) for nonprofit organizations.

The elimination of the funding in the Alberta government's recent budget has left CHAPS and many others without a subsidiary relied upon to hire summer staff.

CHAPS board member Mike Taylor sent a letter to Premier Jason Kenny, Leela Aheer, minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, and local MLA Peter Guthrie to explain the devastating impact upon the museum.

"As a result of the cancellation of STEP we, as a charitable nonprofit receiving only a small operating grant from the Town of Cochrane, may be forced to reduce our summer employees to one person," Taylor writes in part. "This will be a major loss on all fronts."

This summer, the Cochrane museum was able to carry a staff of two post-secondary students for four months to provide interpretative services, conduct research, and pursue the development of historic and display resources. They were also key in orchestrating special events at the museum, including a commemorative Chautauqua.

One student is studying education, while the other is pursuing a master's degree in history.

CHAPS president Larry Want says they will continue to push for the reinstatement of the nonprofit portion of the program and have reached out to other local organizations to do the same. It will be among the issues they hope to discuss with Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie.

"We're trying to get nonprofit organizations to be reinvested in that program, but I'm not holding my breath for it," says Want.

Guthrie says STEP applications processed by Sept, 30 will be honoured.

"We're in a position of fiscal restraint, and we feel that there is some duplication here with a federal program so we're hoping and expecting that will fill the gap."

The elimination of the program was part of the 2.8 per cent decrease in spending by the government over the next four years. Whether it will be introduced is hard to predict, he says.

"I can't read forward what exactly will happen, but we do need to get our economy turned around and get people back to work. That's where our focus is going to be. Once the economy turns around if there's a lot of demand for something like this I'm sure our government will be willing to look at it."

CHAPS hasn't decided as of yet what approach they will take for staffing next summer, says Want.

"We haven't decided yet as to one student, or one full-time or one part-time or two part-time. We're not exactly sure."

"What we're trying to do is get the students in there to help run the museum and offer new ideas. Then the rest of us can volunteer to work on other projects."

They do receive a capital grant from the Town of Cochrane but don't want to use the full amount to cover wages because they face other operating expenses.

In the meantime, CHAPS continues to seek funding and other grants for this and other projects. 

The Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) is designed to fund eligible Alberta employers to hire high school or post-secondary students into summer jobs from May to August. It provided a wage subsidy of $7 per hour for a minimum of 30 hours per week (on average) and a maximum of 37.5 hours per week.

The wage subsidy was paid at the end of a student’s employment, once the employer has submitted a completion form.

It has been canceled in the past and was reintroduced by the NDP government in 2015. It was canceled by a previous Progressive Conservative government in 2013.